Solarpaw the New Star
by Lisa Tucker
Summary: Morgan starts out as a normal kid. But she has to move to the country after a fire that burned her house. Then strange dreams haunted her day after day. Finally something wonderful happened...
1. Chapter 1

_Dust rose billowed after the dark figure dashing through the tall dry parries grass, following. The figure stops abruptly to see what she'd been following. Peering from behind a bush were two glaring eyes. Morgan reached down to feel the hissing object, but before she could a bloodcurdling yowl pierced her mind,_

_"No, NO, NO, NO", the voice chanted, getting louder and louder-_

Morgan sat up with a start. Her Spongebob clock read one o'clock am.

"Another dream" she sighed as she plopped back against her down pillow. As a girl that hardly ever dreamed it was weird to suddenly be having dreams, especially if it's the same thing every time. Her new room seemed so far away as she recalled the fire. The fire, the fire that had swallowed every thing of her life up, whole. She had to move with her family to the country where every thing was far away, including her friends. The only thing close was the wood in which she took long walks in. She had nothing else to do so she walked and walked and walked, usually letting her imagination run free. She imagined quite often on what it would be like to be a cat. She found herself doing so more and more often. She had even made a nest of leaves and moss out there. Morgan drifted off to sleep with the soothing smell of earth in her mind.

Somewhere out in the same woods Morgan walked in another creature also restlessly slept…

Firestar tossed and turned in his sleep.

_The moon just coming up as he briskly trotted along. Suddenly the bush beside him shuttered. Before he could investigate a black figure of a cat, much like the size of him bounded out. Following it was what seemed like blind Twoleg. A Twoleg following a cat? Firestar hissed in alarm. He pelted down after the two creatures of chase. The cat darted under a bush of thorns. The Twoleg reached down to touch the snarling cat. Firstar's stomach lurched with fright. Something about that cat made him feel queasy. He yowled out a protest of,_

"_NO!"-_

"Firestar, Firestar, wake up! Wake up!" Graystipe prodded him awaked.

"Is the mouse here yet?" he asked sleepily.

"What, no. You were bawling in your sleep again," came his friend's irrigated reply. Firestar saw the dawn light creeping through the cave entrance of his den.

"Sorry. I was having- never mind. Have the patrols been sent out yet?" replied Firestar.

"Yes, you and Sandstorm are on a hunting patrol, so hurry up!" Graystipe nudged him playfully before bounding out to join Sandstorm, Firstar's love. Stretching he thought about his nightmares, _what could it mean? Oh well he_, he thought as he ran to catch up with his friends who were pacing impatiently.

Morgan inhaled the fresh air. She had been tense all day. This was the time she relaxed and dozed. She walked over to where the smelly black pavement was. She crossed it quickly; cars were becoming stranger to her these days. She ran onto her so called neighbor's property. She hadn't met so much as a living soul since she left her home back in town. Morgan trotted over to her favorite spot in the woods, a moss bed. She lay down to rest.

_Morgan reached down to touch the hissing fur ball. But before she could a large tom hurled at her and knocked her off balance. The strange cat clawed her face. Through the blood she saw the other cat slip away. Morgan frantically flapped her arms to shake off the orange cat. The cat only scratched more and more, as new wounds opened Morgan ran for it. The pain was getting unbearable. _

Morgan jumped awake. Breathing hard she looked around. Not a cat was in sight, or any thing. "What are these dreams about?" she wondered out loud. Only the silence of the wood answered.

Firestar stalked a plump mouse. He pounced and with one small squeak he had the mouse hanging from his mouth. Sandstorm and Graystipe were all ready to head back to camp with the fresh kill. Firestar nodded and they trotted back to Thunder Clans camp. Sandstorm suddenly stopped, dropped her fresh kill and sniffed the air.

"What is it?" whispered Graystipe, speaking Firstar's thought aloud. Sandstorm lowered her eyes to met theirs,

"I don't know and I don't like it either," she said darkly. Firestar picked up his fresh kill and ran fast back to camp. He had to warn the others.

When they reached camp, Firestar dumped his fresh kill on the pile and then bounded up onto the high rock in the center of the camp and yowled,

"Let all old enough to catch their own prey gather". All the cats of Thunder Clan gathered at the bottom of the rock. Firestar looked into all of those alarmed faces.

"What is this about, Firestar?" asked Brambleclaw.

"I call you to warn you about a Twoleg that has been spotted. Be wary of it. It is just a kit but still beware!" said Firestar. The cats below him began to whisper urgently. Firestar leapt of the rock and walked into his den. The excitement had worn him out. Firestar settled down to sleep…

_He scratched and fought like never before. The Twoleg howled in agony. What was he doing? It just a kit, he thought. The Twoleg yelped and ran away heading for the woods…_

Morgan blinked open her eyes. It was dark. Oh no, she thought with despair, I've slept till night. Oh well, I may as well stay here. She got up stretched and started gathering more moss and soft weeds for her bed for the night. She was setting down her last arm load when she abruptly looked up to see two yellow eyes leering at her from behind a bush. Morgan carefully stepped closer, she saw that it was the cat form her dream. She instantly ran towards it. She ran with all her might, cutting through bushes, dashing past trees. The cat easily loped ahead of her, taunting her slowness. It halted behind a bush. Morgan bent down to touch it, she just had to. She had to feel the thing that had been haunting her dreams for so long. A million voices suddenly erupted inside her head, NOOOOOOO. Just as that happened an orange blur pounced on her. Morgan flapped her arms stupidly in anger as the black cat vanished into the night. Morgan yelped in pain as the cat's claws dug into her skin. Blood trickled from every where on her. Then as if a miracle the scratching stopped. She pelted into the woods silently as hot tears stung the cuts on her face.

Firestar watched her disappear. What had he been thinking? He trotted back to camp. When he reached it Cinderpelt, the medicine cat looked up in alarm as he walked slowly to his den. Her gaze was alarmed, asking what's wrong. Firestar shook his head and she took that as a good answer. He plopped down onto his moss bed. What _had _the Twoleg been doing in their territory? He drifted off to sleep with that in his mind, his dreams the same as always.

Meanwhile in the woods a slumped over figure, lay a bleeding Morgan. She looked up at the trees; she was startled to see another cat softly looking at her. It was a beautiful tawny cat with spots. "Hello, Morgan. I've been waiting a long time to meet you." Said the cat gently, hoping down to land right beside Morgan's side. The cat can talk, thought Morgan. "Yes I can talk! I'm here form Star Clan to tell you a new prophecy: flame will be put out and a star will rise to thunder." The gentle cat had gotten into her face; Morgan inhaled a sweet smelling scent off the cat. Morgan noticed that this cat was shimmering with what looked like star light. Then she looked around again, more and more cats were forming a circle around her. She was alarmed to see that she was no longer in her woods, she was in a hollow of four trees and soft grass. The cats began to murmur 'Solarpaw, Solarpaw, Solarpaw'. The cat next to her said "Let that be your new name and now you are a cat" the cat proclaimed this as she bent to press her cool nose to Morgan's bloody one. Morgan was then crying in pain again. Her whole body felt pricked. Every bone in her body felt white hot. That was nothing compared to what was happening on her left hand, where the orange cat had clawed her deepest. It was swearing in what felt like flames. Morgan felt herself rising from the ground. She was enclosed in blue globe of light. She closed her eyes only to plummet back to the ground and a dark tunnel of pain.

Brambleclaw stalked a rabbit in his hunting crouch. But before he did something black caught his eye. Abandoning his rabbit, Brambleclaw went to investigate. Cautiously he moved around it. He stopped and pounced when he saw it was a cat not of Thunder Clan, but advanced back when he saw it was just a kitty-pet and it was already wounded. It had a jet black pelt, except for at the tip of the tail it was a dark blue and on its left front paw it had a dark blue sock with a nasty cut. But what made Brambleclaw back away was a mysterious splash of color over her right eye, shaped like a crescent moon. It was glowing blue, and a faint, faint light was coming form it. This was too much for Brambleclaw. He pelted to where Firestar was burying his fresh-kill. "Brambleclaw are you ready to head back-? What's wrong?" Brambleclaw could only force out, "come, I show." Firestar followed a tense Brambleclaw. "There, look it's a weird cat." said Brambleclaw. Firestar looked and stifled a gasp. There _was _a cat, not a Thunder Clan cat either. But by the looks of it all he could say was, "Help me take her back to camp, and keep it quiet would you?" Brambleclaw nodded and grabbed the cuff of the little kit.

They placed the kit just out side of the Medicine- cats den. Firestar called Cinderpelt out and she agreed to tend the wounded kit. Then they lifted the cat on to a soft bed of moss and left Cinderpelt to treat her wounds.

Morgan faded in and out of a restless sleep. Once she opened her eyes a little to see where she was, but there was something blocking her eye sight, so she went back to sleep. She kept dreaming of the orange cat, that awful cat that had hurt her. Then one day she woke up only to panic. She wasn't in her room, her favorite place in the woods or even at school! She was in a cave and underneath her was a moss bed. Morgan carefully stepped out of it. She noticed that she stepped with her hands and legs, on all fours. There was a puddle of water, so thirsty she went over to have a drink. That's when the second shock came. When she looked into the water, there wasn't her face looking back at her but a black cat's face. Morgan turned her head to her backside, to find a cats body. Then it all came clear, during her dream she had turned into a cat. "Ahh, your awake I see?" said a soft, playful voice from behind her. Morgan whirled around to face a gray she-cat with a stiff leg. Morgan had gotten used to cats talking to her by now. "Yes, I have" she said flatly back.

"My name is Cinderpelt; I've been the one taking care of you for the last six days." replied Cinderpelt pacing around Morgan. Morgan relaxed a little, just as long as I don't run into the orange cat I'll be fine, she thought. "I'm Morgan. I- I- don't know how to say this but, I'm not really a cat. I'm a human." Morgan told Cinderpelt. Cinderpelt stopped pacing, sat down and only said, "I know, Star Clan told me". Morgan sat down also, she suddenly felt small before such a wise elder. She cooked her head to a side to encourage the elder one to explain. Cinderpelt did just that;

"I guess you would not understand, never mind that. Well, Star Clan is our ancestors who look down upon us. When a cat dies it joins others as stars." Morgan nodded, "Its kind of like God and Jesus." Cinderpelt looked puzzled and asked, "What are God and Jesus?" Morgan flicked her tail as if to erase the whole idea. Cinderpelt lightened up and looked over her shoulder at something. Morgan looked over her shoulder as well, she spun around and hissed. The orange cat that had wounded her before trotted up to her. She clawed him in one swift motion of her unsheathed paw. Blood splattered on the dirt of the cave. The orange cat snarled and pounced, but this time Morgan was ready. She threw him off of her with her hind legs and bit his tail to hold on. This was rather difficult because the orange cat was much bigger than here, not to mention older. The orange cat landed on all fours and was bunching his muscles to spring when Cinderpelt leapt in-between them. Morgan was amazed at the flexibility she had with her stiff leg. Cinderpelt hissed at the orange cat, "Firestar, I'm disappointed in you. She's just a kit and is already healing; she doesn't need you wounding her more." Firestar made the fur on his spin relax. Morgan was not going to let him get a chance on her, oh no. She circled around Cinderpelt and stood in front of Firestar to hiss a warning. Then she sat down with a glare at Cinderpelt. Cinderpelt introduced the cats to each other. Firestar was trying to explain and apologize. Morgan wouldn't listen. Firestar left with a, "Listen I'm sorry, Morgan." Cinderpelt turned on Morgan as soon as he was out of site and glared at her a long time before addressing the matter, "You're stuck here until you decide what clan you're going to be in so I suggest you trust Firestar, and he's your leader." Morgan sat, staring at her paws and kneading them in the ground. Cinderpelt lowered her head and touched Morgan on her nose with her own. Morgan sighed and said, "I'm sorry Cinderpelt. Can I please sleep now?" Cinderpelt nodded and left the cave in a flash. Morgan plopped onto her moss bed and drifted of to sleep….

_Morgan_ _ran through a clearing with a hundred pairs of cat eyes glaring at her from under bushes. _ _She loped into a strange cave and called for Firestar to hear only an echo of rain. Her heart began to palpitate with the rhythm of her fear…_

Cinderpelt limped into Firstar's den with a water fall of words, "Firestar what were you thinking? First you save her and now you try to kill her, and she's a kit? A kit, you loop-

Firestar cut her of with a tiered sigh, "I know, I know! She attacked me, Cinderpelt. Even a kit should know not to attack someone that's three times her size! I can't help but feel that I've seen this strange young cat before." Cinderpelt sat silently as she listened. She knew that it was not her place to tell Firestar that Morgan was a human transformed by Star Clan until Morgan was ready to tell him herself. Firestar looked at her with exhausted and frustrated eyes. She calmly said, "What are we going to do with her? We can't just dump her in the woods all alone. She has had some… shocks." Firestar cooked his head to one side before saying, "Of course she'll become a Thunder Clan apprentice. I'll have to change her kitty-pet name of course, like Bluestar did for me. I'd like to apprentice her tonight if possible." Cinderpelt nodded her agreement, then limping out of his den to tell Morgan. Firestar watched her go and flopped back down to think. He thought of possible mentors or Morgan. There was Cloudtial, but he was to sassy, there was Ashfur but he was a grump and wouldn't take kindly to training a kitty-pet, Firestar could always train her himself but he was to busy, Brambleclaw was to young and Graystripe….. Graystripe! He would have his best friend train her. Firestar knew that he could trust him. Firestar stretched and padded out of his den to find Graystripe. He found him eating by the fresh-kill pile with Cloudtial and Brightheart. Graystripe looked up and meowed, "Want some? It's great!" Firestar shook his head and asked to speak with him alone. When they were out of hearing range Firestar said, "I have a kitty-pet who will be joining our clan soon; she's just about the age of an apprentice. Will you be her mentor?" Grays tripe's eyes had gotten larger and larger, but now they were bugging out of his head. Slowly he nodded and said very carefully, "Do you think brining in another kitty-pet is such a good idea? No offense Firestar but, now? We are already in a hard time of the year. But sure I'll train her, just as long as I don't get any fights out of it." Firestar purred a thank you and bounded of to tell Morgan.

Morgan was pacing impatiently around the cave. "Can I please go out and play? Please, please, please, _please." _ Cinderpelt was watching her with great amusement. "NO, I've already told you that! We can't let the others know you're here until Firestar says so!" said the gray cat firmly. Humph, thought Morgan, now I'm being told what to do by a cat that attacked me, two times.

"But he attacked me. What should I do just all of a sudden obey him?" she whined. Cinderpelt twitched her tail irritably. Morgan took that as a warning and sulked over to her bed. "Where do you think you're going?" demanded Cinderpelt. "Bed", Morgan answered flatly. "Oh no your not, come back here. As long as you're living in my den you have to work. I want you to sort all these leaves into piles. The big green ones are oak and the small light green ones are cedar leaves. Here they are now, get to work!" ordered Cinderpelt. Morgan gladly stared to organize the leaves. She was just happy to do something otherwise waiting around, not knowing what was around the corner.


	2. New Name, New Memeber

She wondered what all the leaves were for. Probably healing, she thought to her self. She looked up as Firestar entered the den. Morgan ducked her head in respect, although she was inwardly scowling. Firestar looked impressed and sat down in front of her. He stared speaking in a polite and gentle tone,

"I see Cinderpelt has already gotten you working, eh? I know you're mad at me but I need to explain some things. First of all I'm your leader until you are a warrior and chose what clan you want to be in, Graystripe will teach you about that. Graystipe is a good friend of mine and will be your teacher, your mentor who teaches you to be a warrior. You'll like him!" Morgan sat there, taking it all in. Okay, she thought. I have to train to become a warrior and then I can pick which of the clans I can join, I hope I really do like this Graystipe. "Thanks, Firestar. May I meet this Graystripe?" Firestar sighed and gently said'

"Yes, just one moment." He padded out of the cave and entered again with a gray tom. Morgan stood and twitched her tail in greetings. The tom looked kind of reluctant, but kind. The gray tom said,

"Hi, I'm Graystripe. I hope you will learn well with me." Morgan nodded and replied as politely as possible,

"Right, um, I hope I do learn well with you-Hey! What do you mean by that!" finished Morgan angrily. Morgan heard a groan from behind her as Cinderpelt walked in. Morgan flushed and stammered,

"Uh, oh, Cinderpelt. I was just meeting my mentor, Graystripe, uh-

"Ha, Ha Ha ha ha ha ha ah, Firestar she sounds just like us when we were apprentices. Remember when we went away without telling anybody? We-

"Graystripe, don't encourage her!" Cinderpelt interrupted him, "besides your Clan deputy, supposed to set an example!" Morgan was cracking up now and when she was able to look up again she saw that Graystripe was purring with amusement and Cinderpelt were glancing at each other with sly expressions on their faces. Morgan picked herself up and asked,

"I notice that my name is like way different form all your guy's names. Will I have to change my name?" Firestar answered with a nod,

"Tonight you'll have a naming ceremony. You'll get a new name and Graystripe will officially become your mentor." Morgan purred as they left and Cinderpelt turned to her with a sly glint in her eye. She padded over to her moss nest and settled down. Morgan followed her lead and also and fell asleep to be well prepared for the ceremony later on.

Morgan stretched as she pulled herself out of her moss bed. She shook her body to rid of all the pieces of moss. Cinderpelt blinked a hello and began to groom herself. Morgan tried to do so herself, but she was still used to being human. Morgan looked up from her struggles to find Cinderpelt watching with sympathy.

"Do you want some help, Morgan?" she asked. Morgan gratefully nodded and Cinderpelt showed her how to lick her chest clean and how to lick her paw and then swab it over her ears. When they were finished Morgan padded over to the puddle to see how she looked. Her black pelt shone with health. The crescent moon shaped patch over her left eye glowed… _Glowed_! Wait a second, she thought, how is light ejecting from my head? It was a very faint glow, a misty blue, but still it shone. Morgan twisted her head to glance at her tail. It had the same color of dark, royal blue, just on the tip of her black tail though. Cinderpelt mowed softly from behind her,

"It time, Morgan. Go over to the big stone in the center of the camp and sit in front of it. Wait until Firestar calls you up and then you will…. Well, I don't want to spoil the surprise!" Morgan left and nervously padded into the clearing. Firestar was waiting for her. She timidly blinked a greeting and took her place beside a white cat with long white hair. The tom slipped a peek at her, but made no other indications that she even existed.


End file.
